Smog in India and Pakistan Looks Even Worse from a Satellite

For the better part of a month, the subcontinent has been facing a severe smog that shows no signs of dying down.

Various cities in Pakistan and India have been affected, with people being asked to stay indoors due to poor visibility, safety and health concerns.

Experts believe that much of the smog is due to the burning of crops in northern India (about 35 tons of crops that is).

The smog has intensified due to dust and air pollution from factories and vehicles as well.

In Lahore, the situation has gotten so worse that many schools in Punjab have shut down and changed their timings. Motorists are told to not drive in poor visibility as well.

Someone got a PM2.5 filter mask from Japan. On the left is the unused filter. On the right is the filter after ONE DAY of normal running about (kids to school, errands, work) in #Lahore. pic.twitter.com/lDS1UNt8Bi

The air is so bad that it is more than the equivalent of smoking 50 cigarettes a day.

In the pictures below (taken by NASA satellites), you can the level of air pollution in Pakistan and India in a clear way. The darker shades of brown color show the areas most severely hit by the smog.

How Does A Smog Happen?

In case you wanted to know how a smog is formed, Al-Jazeera has provided a helpful and easy to understand infographic that illustrates the whole process:

The only pollution and air quality data we have for Lahore today is from a private citizen who set up monitoring systems in two locations in the city. The only seminar/workshop related to the smog and how to deal with it was held by private citizens recently.

Read the posts in the “Citizens for Clean Air” group on Facebook and follow @LahoreSmog on Twitter for more examples.

Javaid Khan

Just wait till the outdated and practically banned world wide coal fired power plants get commisssioned in Punjab, the going away gift of the commission eaters of our Governmen.

BADAR

Oh with Smog it is so much typical to leave the home. God Bless all the people living in both countries.

shin

consider it an attack on Pakistan and increase army at border to pressure them.